20150041 Ver 1_Lowther1 - Coal Ash in Lee Chatham Counties_20150404

Burdette, Jennifer a
From: lowtherl @charter.net
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2015 12:08 AM
To: Higgins, Karen
Cc: Burdette, Jennifer a; Devane, Boyd
Subject: Coal Ash in Lee /Chatham Counties
Ms. Karen Higgins
401 and Buffer Permitting Unit
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 -1650
April 4, 2015
Dear Ms. Higgins:
Thank you for your willingness to hear the citizen concerns about Green Meadows' (a company belonging
to Charah) application for a 401 and Buffer Permit in the vicinity of their two proposed clay mine sites by
moving 20 million tons of coal ash from the Sutton plant near Wilmington and the Riverbend plant near
Charlotte to Colon Road in northern Lee County and Brickhaven near Moncure in southeast Chatham
county when they have far more viable options right where they are such as saltstone encapsulation on
Duke's property. The use of saltstone encapsulation would be utilized away from waterways (vs.
destroying them), does not expose NC communities to harmful toxins during transportation of the coal ash
from the coast, and would be far more economical.
I live on Deep River Road, approximately halfway between the proposed sites, so the coal ash trucks and
trains would be very close to my home. This is another concern. We already have a large amount of
heavy traffic and large trucks which will be greatly increased if the coal ash is approved for these
sites. This is not only inconvenient, but creates many safety issues as well. As we all know, the coal ash
contains many toxins that will affect the health of the individuals, animals, and plants in those
communities. Increased traffic can cause traffic accidents, wear and tear on the roads, additional
concerns for our children waiting at the bus stops, etc.
How will emergency vehicles (ie: Fire Department, EMS, etc.) reach individuals in the community who
need their help if a train is blocking the railroad crossing to get to the other side? Have there been any
impact assessments done to see how normal traffic, weather, emergencies, disasters, etc. would be
handled with all the extra highway and railroad traffic — especially if a train happens to be blocking a
railroad crossing needed for access or exit routes in an emergency.
Are there any plans to monitor air quality? Unfortunately, there is already a huge amount of coal ash in
ponds near the Cape Fear Plant on Corinth Road in Moncure that are affecting, at a minimum, air
quality. I have seen pictures of the ash cloud as it hovers over the highway. This is visibly affecting the
environment here, the health of individuals /animals in the community, and decreasing the value of our
homes. How much coal ash is one area expected to take?
Another way we see the damage coal ash can do is in the news. Duke Energy and Virginia just agreed to
a $2.5 million coal ash settlement (4/3/15 - subject to approval) over the coal ash spill in the Dan River
last year. This is one example of how much damage can be done in a relatively short amount of time. If
water monitoring is conducted hundreds of feet apart, what is the probability of detecting any ground
water polluted by landfill leachate. There are many private wells in this area. All liners leak. Could
Colon /Corinth become another Danville, VA incident?

The progression of this coal ash plan to date has been very disappointing to me since the voices of the
people involved (members of the community, homeowners) have been basically omitted. We moved here
more than 25 years ago and were excited to raise our family in a community that preserved the
environment that we lived in; where we could enjoy taking walks, enjoying the beautiful land filled with
wildlife, large natural ponds, streams, and habitats for many animals. We also looked forward to honoring
and preserving that same tradition for future generations to enjoy. Once it is destroyed, sadly, there is no
way to turn back the clock.
Please help us protect the precious land, water, and air we enjoy. I respectfully ask you to please set up a
public hearing with regards to the 401 Certification and an Environmental Assessment (EA) and /or
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Sincerely,
Debbie Lowther
5359 Deep River Road
Sanford, NC 27330
919 - 774 -1933
lowtherl @charter. net